Winthrop University
Professor Stephen S. Smith
PLSC 201002
Introduction to U.S. Government
3 credit hours
Spring 2015
TR, 3:30—4:45 p.m., Kinard 201
smiths@winthrop.edu
803-323-4661
338 Bancroft
office hours:
TR: 1:50-2:20, 4:50-5:20, 7:50-8:20, & by appointment
The opening months of 2015 are an exciting time to study U.S. government. Politics in this
country continue to be influenced by events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Europe, and many other places
around the globe. The Republicans now control both houses of Congress, and relations between
them and President Obama will greatly affect U.S. politics. Even thought the 2016 presidential
election is almost two years away, it’s very much on the mind of politicians in both parties.
Throughout the semester we will pay close attention to these and other important current events.
But we will do more than merely follow the headlines. We will also be trying to understand how
such events are related to the history, operation, and main characteristics of the U.S. political
system.
COURSE GOALS
The course has two major goals. The first is to help you understand how the U.S. political
system operates and how its operation is affected by the Declaration of Independence, the
Constitution, and the Federalist Papers. The second, which follows from the first, is to help prepare
you for the lifelong responsibilities of citizenship. Such study and preparation require a lot of
factual information, and I expect you to acquire this information. But I expect you to do more than
merely learn “facts.” I expect you to understand their significance.
This course also fulfills the Constitution Requirement or a Social Science requirement in the
Touchstone General Education program. Specifically, the course meets the following general
education goals:
1.1 Read, write and speak in standard English;
4.2 Understand cultures in their own terms and in terms of the diversity of ideas,
institutions, philosophies, moral codes and ethical principles (especially American
culture);
7.1 Reflect on the role played in their lives by … community involvement;
7.2 Examine problems, issues and choices that confront citizens of the world and;
7.4 Take responsibility for the consequences of their actions and choices.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
To help achieve these goals, students will be expected to understand:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The main ideas of the Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers
The provisions of the Constitution, how these provisions affect the current operation of the
U.S. political system
The similarities and differences between the Constitution’s Bill of Rights and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and the distinction between positive and negative rights
The characteristics of U.S. economic policy since the 1930s & the theories underlying it
The various ways that citizens participate in U.S. politics and how such participation affects
the political system
The main characteristics of the U.S. political party system and important differences
between it and party systems in other advanced industrial nations
The structure, operation, and history of the Presidency
The difference between a presidential and parliamentary system
•
•
•
•
The structure, operation, and history of Congress
The structure and operation of the federal judiciary
The issues in and outcomes of landmark Supreme Court decisions
Trends in Supreme Court decisions since the Civil War
GLOBAL LEARNING STATEMENT
This course participates in the Global Learning Initiative. Its global learning component involves a
comparison of the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including a
discussion of what is often called the distinction between positive and negative rights. This
component thus serves to increase global understanding
PREREQUISITES
There are no prerequisites for this course.
REQUIRED READING
Most of our assigned reading will come from:
The Politics of Power by Katznelson, Kesselman, and Draper (7th edition)—make sure
you get this edition.
The assigned reading will also include:
“The Market as Prison” by Charles Lindblom—available in Dacus’s JSTOR online database
Declaration of Independence
Constitution
Federalist #10
Federalist #51
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Although these five documents are available in many places, it will facilitate class
discussion if everyone gets them from the same source and in the same format.
Thus, I will send an email to the class listserv with URLs for all of these documents.
I expect you to go to those URLs, print the documents, and bring them to class on the
days we will be discussing them.
Any additional assigned reading will be distributed to the class, made available online,
and/or placed on reserve in Dacus.
In addition to reading all assigned material, students are expected to keep up with current
events, especially those related to the topics we cover in class. Your tests are likely to include
questions dealing with current events.
CLASS LISTSERV & BLACKBOARD
I will make frequent use of the class listserv provided by the Division of Computing and
Information Technology, and you are required to subscribe to it. For additional information, go to:
http://www.winthrop.edu/technology/default.aspx?id=7081&ekmensel=bfef63b6_489_491_
7081_1
I will make occasional use of Blackboard, an online learning software package, to
supplement the work we do in class. You can log into Blackboard with your Winthrop username
and password at:
http://online.winthrop.edu
it.
Additional information about Blackboard will be provided when we have occasion to use
GRADES
I hope to be able to compute grades in the following manner.
20 points
22 points
29 points
29 points
100 points
First exam—on or about February 5
Second exam—on or about March 10
Term paper—hard copies due at the start of class on Thursday, April 23
Electronic versions must be submitted to Turnitin by 11:59 p.m.
on April 23
The penalty for late papers is one-half letter grade for each 24 hours
or fraction thereof that the paper is late. Your paper must adhere to
the guidelines for term papers that will be distributed. The topic will
be announced later in the semester.
Comprehensive final exam—Friday, May 1 at 3:00 p.m.
However, if the class discussion shows that students are not adequately preparing for class,
additional tests, unannounced quizzes, and/or other assignments will be added to the list of material
upon which students will be graded.
The relationship between points and finals grades is: A ≥92, A- =90-91, B+ =87-89, B= 82-86,
B- = 80-81, C+ =77-79, C= 72-76; C- =70-71, D+ =67-69, D= 62-66, D- =60-61, F <60.
OPTIONAL WORK FOR EXTRA CREDIT:
You will have the opportunity to add to your points on the required work through two
different kinds of extra-credit.
Extra-credit on the exams. From time to time, you will have opportunities to earn extracredit on your exams. These opportunities will involve things like unannounced quizzes,
short in-class writing assignments, short homework assignments, and participation in the
online course evaluations that are administered toward the end of the semester.
Extra-credit added directly to the total number of points that you receive from the required
work. There are two different ways to get such extra-credit:
(1) Up to 5 points extra-credit: By participating in class discussion in ways that
contribute to the learning process. The amount of extra-credit will depend on the
quality and quantity of your contributions throughout the semester.
(2) Up to 10 points extra-credit: By writing book reports, movie reviews, and/or
papers dealing with some aspect of U.S. government and politics. Students will also
have the option of submitting works of visual art (such as cartoons).
The amount of extra-credit that you receive will depend on the quality and quantity of your
work. To receive extra-credit that goes directly toward your final grade, your work MUST:
(a) receive my prior approval
(b) be submitted on or before April 23 at the start of class. No extracredit work will be accepted after this date.
(c) adhere to the Guidelines for Papers and/or the Guidelines for Visual Art that
will also be distributed.
As you can see, your participation in class discussion and/or your writing, say, a
book report provides opportunities to boost your grade significantly for the course.
For example, if your total number of points on the required work is 78, your grade
for the course would be a C+. However, if you were to get 3 points extra-credit for
participating in class discussion and 9 points extra-credit for writing a book report,
your total number of points would increase to 90 (78+3+9), which is an A-.
Because these extra-credit opportunities can do so much to boost your grade,
you should be prepared to work hard and thoughtfully if you seek extra-credit.
Among other things, your participation in class discussion should be based on a good
faith effort to understand the assigned reading, and any extra-credit papers must
address the topic in depth and at length.
PENALTY FOR NOT ADHERING TO CONVENTIONAL STANDARDS OF CLASSROOM
DECORUM
Just as you can help your final grade for the course by doing work for extra-credit, you can
hurt your final grade if you flagrantly and/or repeatedly violate conventional standards of classroom
decorum. Students are expected to treat other students and the professor with respect. Winthrop has
a large campus, and the University provides many places where students can sleep, chat, surf the
Internet, check email, use their cell phones, and so forth. This class is not one of those places.
Furthermore, absent a personal emergency, students who come to class are expected to stay until
the end of class unless they have made prior arrangements with the instructor.
USE OF HAND-HELD AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY: In addition to adhering to the
conventional standards of classroom decorum specified above, students are expected to adhere to
the College of Arts and Sciences policy for appropriate use of hand-­‐held and wireless technology.
This policy is available at:
http://www.winthrop.edu/uploadedFiles/artscience/AppropriateUseOfHandHeldWirelessTechnolog
yApprovedPolicyMar2010.pdf
KEEPING UP WITH CURRENT EVENTS: You are expected to pay attention to current events,
especially those related to issues that we cover in class. Although not a substitute for print media,
National Public Radio's Morning Edition and All Things Considered are easy ways to find out what
is going on in the world. The tests may include questions dealing with current events.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Students are expected to come to class, and attendance will be taken.
It is very difficult to receive extra-credit for participation in class discussion if you are frequently
absent, and, of course, you cannot receive any credit for tests, unannounced quizzes, and in-class
writing exercises if you are not in class on the days they are given. However, poor attendance in and
of itself will not otherwise affect your grade. But please note and note well: if you are doing poorly
in the course and ask me how you might do better, the first thing we’ll discuss is your attendance.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Winthrop's policy on academic misconduct will be strictly enforced.
It is your responsibility to understand and adhere to this policy. If you have questions about how
this policy applies to your work, you must raise those questions with me before submitting that
work for evaluation. Attached to this syllabus is PLSC’s statement on plagiarism. Make sure you
are also familiar with all relevant University policies including those that appear in the Student
Handbook.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Winthrop University is dedicated to providing access to
education. If you have a disability and require specific accommodations to complete this course,
contact the Office of Disability Services at 323-3290. Once you have your official notice of
accommodations from the Office of Disability Services, please inform me as early as possible in the
semester.
IF YOU NEED TUTORING: Winthrop’s Academic Success Center (ASC) offers appointmentbased peer tutoring for this course and is a free resource for all undergraduate students seeking to
perform their best academically. The ASC offers a variety of personalized and structured resources
that help students achieve academic excellence, such as tutoring, academic skill development (test
taking strategies, time management counseling, and study techniques), and group/individual study
spaces. The ASC is located on the first floor of Dinkins, Suite 106. If you wish to request a tutor,
you must attend one Tutee Seminar. Please contact the ASC at 803-323-3929 or
success@winthrop.edu if you have any questions. For more information on ASC services, please
visit www.winthrop.edu/success.
SYLLABUS CHANGE POLICY: This syllabus is subject to change at the professor's discretion.
SCHEDULE of READING ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES AND TESTS
This schedule, INCLUDING THE DATES OF THE EXAMS, is subject to change to
accommodate the needs of the class.
Jan 13-Jan 20
Introduction & the Challenge of Democracy
KKD, pp. 1-6, 15-26
Jan 22-Feb 3
The Founding
Feb 5
Exam
Feb 10-Feb 26
Government and the Economy
KKD, Chapter 2
Lindblom, The Market As Prison
Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 5
KKD, Chapter 3
KKD, Chapter 9
Mar 3-Mar 5
Political Parties and Elections
KKD, Chapter 4
Mar 10
Exam
KKD, pps. 7-14, 185-188
Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist
Papers, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(Note: Wednesday, March 11 is the last day to drop the course and receive a grade of N)
Mar 12-Mar 24
Social Movements
KKD, Chapter 5
Mar 26-Mar 31
Presidency
KKD, Chapter 6
Apr 2-Apr 7
Congress
KKD, Chapter 7
Apr 9-Apr 14
Judiciary
KKD, Chapter 8
Apr 16-Apr 23
TBA
Friday, May 1 at 3 pm
Comprehensive Final
PLSC 201
Professor Smith
Spring 2015
As mentioned in the syllabus, to understand politics and government, it is important to know
some basic facts. These facts are not sufficient to develop this understanding, but they help lay a
basis for it. Here are some of the facts that I expect you to know:
I-The name(s) of the current:
A-President and Vice-President of the United States
B-Attorney General & the Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury, and Education
C-Speaker of the House, Majority & Minority Leaders in the U.S. House & Senate
D-nine justices on the Supreme Court
E-congressperson from the district in which Winthrop is located
F-governor of South Carolina and the state’s two U.S. Senators
G-chair of the Federal Reserve
II-The year in which:
A-the Declaration of Independence was signed
B-the Constitution was signed
C-Abraham Lincoln was elected president
D-the Civil War began
E-the Civil War ended
F-World War I began
G-World War I ended
H-the Great Depression began
I-World War II began
J-the United States entered World War II
K-World War II ended
L-the Gulf of Tonkin incident took place (and why this incident is important)
M-a peace settlement was signed in the Vietnam War
N-US embassy personnel were taken hostage in Iran
O-the CIA helped overthrow the Iranian government (and why this overthrow is
important)
P-Donald Rumsfeld shook hands with Saddam Hussein (& the position Donald
Rumsfeld held at the time, the position he would hold twenty years later, and
the reasons for the handshake)
Q-each of the following presidents began and concluded his term in office:
Abraham Lincoln
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
III-The location of each of the 50 states of the United States. To help you locate the states, I
will provide you with a blank map of the United States.
To provide additional motivation for you to learn these dates, people, places, and events,
some of the questions on your exams and/or quizzes will require you to know this material.
Political Science Department Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct
The Winthrop University Political Science department abhors all forms of academic misconduct,
and faculty members aggressively investigate all incidents of suspected cheating. This includes, but
is not limited to, using turnitin.com.
Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, is by far the most common form of academic
misconduct in the Political Science department. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
Using the words or ideas of others as one’s own;
Reproducing, in whole or in part, principal ideas from a fellow student’s work;
Granting a fellow student permission to copy one’s paper, or to reproduce some or all of
its principal ideas;
Quoting or paraphrasing material from sources without any citation;
Quoting or paraphrasing material without sufficient and/or proper citation;
Omitting some or all sources used in a paper; and
Submitting a paper written for one course -- whether in Political Science or another
discipline -- to meet a course requirement in a second course, without the express
permission of all instructors involved. This is the case even though many paper topics may
be relevant to several different courses.
All incidents of suspected academic misconduct are investigated with equal vigor.
When a faculty member suspects that a student engaged in academic misconduct, the faculty
member will follow the appropriate procedures outlined in the Student Handbook. The faculty
member will apply whatever sanctions s/he deems appropriate. Possible sanctions include, but are
not limited to:
·
·
·
·
Failing the assignment;
Requiring a student to repeat an assignment for reduced credit;
Requiring a student to repeat an assignment for no credit; or
Failing the course.
Academic misconduct applies equally to required assignments and extra credit assignments.
All incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Department Chair, the Dean of
Students, the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the student’s academic advisor. The University may
impose its own sanctions in addition to sanctions imposed by the faculty member or the department.
The University may impose sanctions even after a student has graduated, and may include revoking
a student’s diploma.
In addition, students who engage in more than one incident of academic misconduct may be
declared ineligible for departmental awards, ineligible for employment in the department or its
affiliated programs, and ineligible to volunteer as a peer advisor.
Adopted August 14, 2007.